CES 2017: Henge Docks Debuts New Horizontal and Vertical Docking Stations for 2016 MacBook Pro

[MacRumors]

Henge Docks, known for its range of docks for Apple's line of notebooks and iOS devices, today introduced new docking stations designed for the 2016 MacBook Pro. There are a total of three new docks: the Tethered Docking Station, the Vertical Docking Station, and the Horizontal Docking Station.

The Tethered Docking Station, available in Space Gray, is designed to be an extension of the MacBook Pro, with an 85-watt power supply, three USB Type-A ports, two Mini DisplayPorts, an SD card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an audio port, and support for USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (there are two models). An angled design allows the MacBook to rest directly on the dock.

The Vertical Docking Station, also available in Space Gray, includes pass-through connections for USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, allowing customers to dock their MacBook Pros and have an instant connection to peripheral devices. Designed to pair with the Tethered Docking Station, the Vertical Docking Station is available for all three MacBook Pro models.

The Horizontal Docking Station is an all-in-one-dock that features 13 ports and the ability to drop your MacBook in place to have immediate access to all of your accessories. It features 85-watt power, support for up to four external displays, multiple USB Type-A ports, an SD card slot, and more. Like the other docks, it is available with either Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C support.

Henge is also announcing a new partnership with Apple, which will see it becoming an Apple Authorized Business Solution Provider. Henge can now sell bundles that include Apple MacBooks and Henge docking stations, and plans to introduce a variety of options that can save customers up to $150.

Bundles will range from the Clique paired with an Apple Magic Trackpad 2 and Apple Magic Keyboard to a new MacBook Pro paired with a Horizontal Docking Station.

"This partnership, coupled with the new products we are launching, allows us to offer our customers a complete workstation setup in one convenient spot, and at a discounted price," said Matthew Vroom, Henge Docks CEO. "It's an honor that we were selected for this program after having worked so hard to build products designed to complement and enhance the Apple user experience."

All of the docks will be available during the spring of 2017. The Vertical Docking Station will be available for $149, while pricing for the Tethered Docking Station and Horizontal Docking Station will start at $199 and $499, respectively.

Article Link: CES 2017: Henge Docks Debuts New Horizontal and Vertical Docking Stations for 2016 MacBook Pro

 

[Appleaker]

That's a lot of ports (or as Apple would say, "that's too many ports")

 

[Pakaku]

That's a lot of ports (or as Apple would say, "that's too many ports")

Sort of the point of Thunderbolt, to be fair.

 

[44267547]

That one connect box for the cables that isn't tethered to the device is actually convenient. It allows you to hide the wires and move the box around wherever you so wish. Samsung has been using this on there more high-end premium TVs called there "One connect Box."

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Did they ever release their original rMBP dock? I think I looked for it for about 2 years past its announcement and it was still vaporware.

 

[xsdeus]

Apple Authorized Business Solutions Partner.

Sounds like a partnership for money, and the new MacBook Pro was made perfectly for this dock and partnership to exist.

I love my new laptop, but news like this makes me cringe a bit inside.

 

[Appleaker]

Sort of the point of Thunderbolt, to be fair.

Yeah, using Thunderbolt 3 ports is like removing the ports and letting the user plug the ports they want in. Although the bottom solution must have very low bandwidth ports unless it uses more than one TB3 connector.

 

[gugy]

These are nice docks. Either way I am passing on the MBP for now until there is at least 32gb RAM and they improve the battery life.

 

[supersteve]

Don't understand how people don't find this better than having loads of cables coming from their laptop. Eff that. One USB c cable to a hub or docking station is way better.

And in a year or two everything will USB-C anyway.

 

[gim]

Apple Authorized Business Solutions Partner.

Sounds like a partnership for money, and the new MacBook Pro was made perfectly for this dock and partnership to exist.

I love my new laptop, but news like this makes me cringe a bit inside.

Exactly, sounds like this company was able to clean up the (port) mess that Apple made with these new MacBooks. Or in other words, these docks are the perfect business solution for the problem Apple (intentionally?) created. I think we all see what they did there..

These are nice docks. Either way I am passing on the MBP for now until there is at least 32gb RAM and they improve the battery life.

So you'll be passing on buying a new MacBook Pro for at least another 3 years? That takes courage

 

[syclone]

I have my complaints with the new MBP, but I am glad to see the MagSafe go because it enables solutions like this. I have a docked setup for my Air and it always feels sort of kludged being able to have everything go through one port except power. It made for an extra step because Apple never licensed MagSafe out. Yes there were some "one click" docks but they all required the user to buy a second MagSafe charger from Apple and clip it in place or cost $500 like the horizontal Henge Dock. I love the idea of the magnetic connector but Apple's control of it was even greedier than this partnership seems to be. There's already magnetic breakaway USB Type-C plugs for those who want it back.

 

[MacLawyer]

Henge, known for its range of docks for Apple's line of notebooks and iOS devices, today introduced new docking stations designed for the 2016 MacBook Pro. There are a total of three new docks: the Tethered Docking Station, the Vertical Docking Station, and the Horizontal Docking Station.

The Tethered Docking Station, available in Space Gray, is designed to be an extension of the MacBook Pro, with an 85-watt power supply, three USB Type-A ports, two Mini DisplayPorts, an SD card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an audio port, and support for USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (there are two models). An angled design allows the MacBook to rest directly on the dock.

The Vertical Docking Station, also available in Space Gray, includes pass-through connections for USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, allowing customers to dock their MacBook Pros and have an instant connection to peripheral devices. Designed to pair with the Tethered Docking Station, the Vertical Docking Station is available for all three MacBook Pro models.

The Horizontal Docking Station is an all-in-one-dock that features 13 ports and the ability to drop your MacBook in place to have immediate access to all of your accessories. It features 85-watt power, support for up to four external displays, multiple USB Type-A ports, an SD card slot, and more. Like the other docks, it is available with either Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C support.

Henge is also announcing a new partnership with Apple, which will see it becoming an Apple Authorized Business Solution Provider. Henge can now sell bundles that include Apple MacBooks and Henge docking stations, and plans to introduce a variety of options that can save customers up to $150.

Bundles will range from the Clique paired with an Apple Magic Trackpad 2 and Apple Magic Keyboard to a new MacBook Pro paired with a Horizontal Docking Station.The Tethered Docking Station will be available in March of 2017 for $199, the Vertical Docking Station will be available in the Spring of 2017 for $149, and the Horizontal Docking Station, also available in the Spring of 2017, will be priced at $499.

Article Link: CES 2017: Henge Docks Debuts New Horizontal and Vertical Docking Stations for 2016 MacBook Pro

[doublepost=1483667140][/doublepost]I wonder if the vertical dock might impair cooling.

 

[jkester]

Will the tethered or horizontal models work with the LG 5K Ultrafine?

 

[Blackforge]

Will the tethered or horizontal models work with the LG 5K Ultrafine?

As long as you get the Thunderbolt 3 version and not the USB-C, it should work.

 

[dampfnudel]

These are nice docks. Either way I am passing on the MBP for now until there is at least 32gb RAM and they improve the battery life.

And a price reduction wouldn't be bad either.

 

[bartvk]

[doublepost=1483667140][/doublepost]I wonder if the vertical dock might impair cooling.

That's a very interesting question. I've looked on their site, no pictures of the other side of that dock. I don't think that would be the case, though. Henge Docks offer pretty high quality stuff, at least judged by the price. Blocking half of the cooling ducts would be nuts.
[doublepost=1483693726][/doublepost]Come to think of it, that vertical dock is kinda weird. It says it "passes through" two USB-C connections. Meaning it doesn't contain any intelligence. So you will always need an additional dock, or a monitor with USB-C.

Think about it. If you dock your MacBook like that, you must connect everything with two cables. However that doesn't work, you'll always need three:
- Power
- Monitor
- Hub for USB devices

So this vertical dock is meant for people who already have a monitor with USB-C or Thunderbolt. But then, why would you buy the vertical dock? Maybe to save desk space?

 

[MH01]

Ironically I remember the days we had docks at work to offer extra ports for our laptops .... how we have regressed

 

[2457282]

I have nothing to connect to all those ports. To buy this, I would then have to go out and buy things to connect to it. No way, I see the trap and I will not fall.

 

[Duane Martin]

Ironically I remember the days we had docks at work to offer extra ports for our laptops .... how we have regressed

Docks for laptops have existed for many years (still have my Duo 270C and Duo Dock) and with the introduction of Thunderbolt on Macs in 2011 (still use my early 2011 MBP) the docks got pretty powerful allowing more connections than ever.

The idea of a dock is to allow a user to connect to a number of fixed assets on a desk with a minimum number of cables to their laptop. In the case of the 2016 MBP with Thunderbolt 3 (got one of those, too) that could be as little as one cable, or half the cables you would need to do the same thing (less, technically) with previous generation MBPs (power through the USB-C). Plus TB3 allows even more, and more powerful, connections (OWC TB3 has 13 ports vs the 11 on the TB2 version and supports 2x 4K monitors). In fact, now that my dock can power my 2016 MBP I don't need to buy a 2nd power adapter for my office.

That is not "regression." One might even say that puts the "pro" into progress if one were as fond of hyperbole as you seem to be.

 

[dilbert99]

I have my complaints with the new MBP, but I am glad to see the MagSafe go because it enables solutions like this. I have a docked setup for my Air and it always feels sort of kludged being able to have everything go through one port except power. It made for an extra step because Apple never licensed MagSafe out. Yes there were some "one click" docks but they all required the user to buy a second MagSafe charger from Apple and clip it in place or cost $500 like the horizontal Henge Dock. I love the idea of the magnetic connector but Apple's control of it was even greedier than this partnership seems to be. There's already magnetic breakaway USB Type-C plugs for those who want it back.

You can have a charging port and usb-c charging on a laptop...I have the option of both.
Apple could have done that too, kept magsafe/ports for those that like it and usb-c charging for those that don't and/or want a dock solution.

 

[AllergyDoc]

[doublepost=1483667140][/doublepost]I wonder if the vertical dock might impair cooling.

I've used a Hedge Dock for a couple of years. It blocks one side of the laptop, so it does impair cooling a tad.

 

[0958400]

The docking station looks like a docking station from the 1990s. Big, clumsy. Why does Apple ass-ume that we will all do it without wires and cables? They are still the fastest and oftentimes more relieable connections available.
The MacBooks used to be computers you could drag along, connect and work with.
Now the MacBooks are computers which require docking stations.
It's okay to make the MacBooks waterproof (or whatever their concept may be: making it slimmer, I guess), but maybe that's not necessary anymore. Maybe the thickness was alright and the adapters too. Just changing for changing's sake without a clear-cut concept does not make any sense.
And that's what Apple is today: changing for changing's sake. At least they fail to communicate their reasons so that we (the stupid buyers) understand them.

 

[goobot]

The lack of charging or hub is disappointing for the vertical one.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Henge, known for its range of docks for Apple's line of notebooks and iOS devices, today introduced new docking stations designed for the 2016 MacBook Pro. There are a total of three new docks: the Tethered Docking Station, the Vertical Docking Station, and the Horizontal Docking Station.

The Tethered Docking Station, available in Space Gray, is designed to be an extension of the MacBook Pro, with an 85-watt power supply, three USB Type-A ports, two Mini DisplayPorts, an SD card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an audio port, and support for USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (there are two models). An angled design allows the MacBook to rest directly on the dock.

The Vertical Docking Station, also available in Space Gray, includes pass-through connections for USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, allowing customers to dock their MacBook Pros and have an instant connection to peripheral devices. Designed to pair with the Tethered Docking Station, the Vertical Docking Station is available for all three MacBook Pro models.

The Horizontal Docking Station is an all-in-one-dock that features 13 ports and the ability to drop your MacBook in place to have immediate access to all of your accessories. It features 85-watt power, support for up to four external displays, multiple USB Type-A ports, an SD card slot, and more. Like the other docks, it is available with either Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C support.

Henge is also announcing a new partnership with Apple, which will see it becoming an Apple Authorized Business Solution Provider. Henge can now sell bundles that include Apple MacBooks and Henge docking stations, and plans to introduce a variety of options that can save customers up to $150.

Bundles will range from the Clique paired with an Apple Magic Trackpad 2 and Apple Magic Keyboard to a new MacBook Pro paired with a Horizontal Docking Station.The Tethered Docking Station will be available in March of 2017 for $199, the Vertical Docking Station will be available in the Spring of 2017 for $149, and the Horizontal Docking Station, also available in the Spring of 2017, will be priced at $499.

Article Link: CES 2017: Henge Docks Debuts New Horizontal and Vertical Docking Stations for 2016 MacBook Pro

That vertical one actually looks pretty sexy

 

[chriscrowlee]

I don't get the vertical dock... what does it do? It takes my tbMBP on it's side and holds it upright, and offers 2 USB-C ports on the back. Are you kidding me? So a docking station takes two ports and turns them into two ports? Insane why anyone would want this other than for aesthetics. Unless it was $30, no way, it does nothing that enhances the experience.

And I agree about the other comments, this company has a murky history of delivering on their promises.
[doublepost=1483816083][/doublepost]

That vertical one actually looks pretty sexy

Yet absolutely functionally useless.